Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 143 What does it mean to capture Dorgon, the fourteenth son of the old servant, alive?!
On December 20th of the first year of the Chongzhen reign, because the Ming Dynasty was still at war, and the situation was unpredictable and shrouded in the fog of war, Zhu Youjian decided to lower the scale of the Grand Court Assembly and simplify the procedures.

On this day, officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial seized the officials and ministers rehearsing in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, while Zhu Youjian played with dolls in the West Warm Pavilion of the Kunning Palace.

The eldest daughter, Chou Chou, can already crawl; the second daughter, Zhou Zhou, has only learned to roll over; and the son, who is very mischievous, has already learned to wriggle before he can even crawl.

The pavilion was called "warm pavilion" because it had underfloor heating. Zhu Youjian had three bolts of Shu brocade laid on the gold bricks, and then let the children crawl on the floor.

Empress Zhang Yan disliked Zhu Youjian's other women, only showing kindness to the Zhou and Sun sisters, and particularly doting on Zhu Youjian's eldest son. Sun Shixiu was essentially a big child, carefree and oblivious; don't expect her to have much maternal instinct. Zhang Yan probably spent more time holding the child than she did herself.

"Call me Father Emperor," Zhu Youjian said, grabbing Chou Chou's right foot and coercing him.

Ugly kicked its legs, but finding it couldn't break free, it could only turn its head and pout at the annoying adult.

After giving birth, Wanwan underwent significant changes. Her appearance evolved into a dignified and solemn one, and she exuded an air of official authority.

Of course, Zhu Youjian met with his ministers and officials every day, but he didn't find that these high-ranking officials had any official airs.

As the emperor, he couldn't feel the power of official authority, but the other concubines and palace maids could clearly sense it. People in the palace respected Sun Shiwan more than the empress.

Sun Shiwan sat on a grand chair to the side, turning to the side as she flipped through today's memorials, her ears twitching slightly as she watched the movements of the emperor and his daughter.

"Call me Father!"

"Beep beep."

"Father."

"Baba."

"Come, learn from me, Father...Emperor..."

"Bang... Waaaaaah!!!" Ugly burst into tears!
"Sigh!" Sun Shiwan reluctantly stood up, snatching her daughter back from the emperor's clutches. She carried Chou Chou in one hand, then shoved a large stack of memorials back into Zhu Youjian's arms. Zhu Youjian pouted; he too felt a pang of sadness.

Humhhhhhh! ! !
Wang Chengen strode over, his face beaming with joy, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

"Your Majesty, news of victory in Liaodong!!!"

Whoosh! Zhu Youjian quickly got up, supporting himself with his hands, and strode out of the area covered by the Shu brocade carpet, stepping barefoot onto the shiny black gold bricks.

"Yuan Keli, the military commissioner of Liaodong, reports that he led his navy in a surprise attack on southern Liaodong, recapturing Gaizhou, Jinzhou, Lushun, Juehua Island, and capturing Dorgon, the fourteenth son of the old slave, alive!!!"

Wang Chengen held up the victory report with both hands and bowed as he handed it to Zhu Youjian, but Zhu Youjian did not take it immediately.

"What?! Who did you say you caught?!" Zhu Youjian's jaw nearly dropped to the ground in shock.

"Uh, Dorgon, the fourteenth son of Nurhaci, the chieftain of the Jurchen Bordered White Banner." Wang Chengen repeated.

With a whoosh, Zhu Youjian snatched the victory report from Wang Chengen's hand and quickly spread it out to examine it.

Ha...hahaha, hahahahahaha! Zhu Youjian laughed until tears streamed down his face. "Excellent! Excellent! Everyone in the palace will be richly rewarded, each receiving three months' salary! Let's go to court!!!"

Zhu Youjian handed the victory report to Sun Shiwan, who was watching him expectantly, and opened his arms to Empress Zhou. Empress Zhou understood immediately and instructed her personal maid to help Zhu Youjian change his clothes, putting a dragon-patterned robe over his plain home clothes. After changing, Zhu Youjian walked with the air of a victorious general. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Zhu Youjian arrived at the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The officials from the capital and those from other regions, who were rehearsing in the snow-covered square in front of the palace, stared in astonishment as the emperor strode in with an imposing air. Jiang Xikong, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, was quite an interesting fellow; he immediately began shouting, following the rehearsal procedure:
"Schedule the shifts!"

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

"kneel!!!"

Hurrah! Thousands of officials fell like wheat, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" in a spectacular scene.

Zhu Youjian, unable to contain his excitement, roared, "Victory reported from Liaodong! Advance to court!!!"

Wow! ! !
Zhu Youjian ordered Jiang Xikong to read the victory report aloud in court. The Hall of Supreme Harmony could not accommodate all the people attending the grand court assembly, but no one was willing to leave at this time. Even those who lined up outside the hall listened attentively.

Your subject, Yuan Keli, the Liaodong Military Commissioner, respectfully reports the great victory in Liaonan:
On the third day of the eleventh month of the first year of Chongzhen's reign, Huang Taiji, the chieftain of the Jurchens, led more than 50,000 cavalry to launch a surprise attack on Jinzhou and besieged it by digging trenches.

On the fifth day, the rebels divided their forces into more than 10,000, led by the false chieftain Dorgon, the fourteenth son of the old slave, who was falsely granted the title of Heshuo Beile and commanded the Bordered White Banner. They fled south to Liaonan.

On the sixth day, Jinzhou fell. Of the 1,789 soldiers defending the southern city of Lushun, 713 died in battle. The rest were saved by the support of the Dongjiang naval force, who helped them escape by boat.

After Dorgon captured Jinzhou, he drove his troops to the islands of Guanglu and Changshan. Our soldiers on the islands dug trenches in the ice and relied on the natural defenses to resist. However, the rebels remained entrenched and refused to retreat, clearly intending to wait for the weather to turn cold and the sea to freeze before crossing the ice to seize the islands.

On the tenth day, Huang Taiji personally led 20,000 elite cavalry to bypass the Liaoxi border, then headed south along the Beishui River, launching a surprise attack on Shanhaiguan. In seven days, they breached seven of our army's fortresses, killed 539 soldiers, massacred over 4,000 border residents, and looted 50,000 shi of grain, as well as over 300 cartloads of cattle, sheep, ironware, and farm tools. They finally fled north of Ningyuan on the seventh day of the twelfth month.

I first detected the Jurchens' unusual movements in mid-September and secretly ordered the Dengzhou and Laizhou naval forces to prepare for battle. On the night of the sixth day of the eleventh month, I secretly left Ningyuan and rushed to Dengzhou and Laizhou by boat.

He arrived at the port on the tenth day, and on the thirteenth day, he personally led 282 warships of various sizes and 12,000 officers and soldiers on land and sea, and set off on the expedition after raising the flag.

On the 20th, the fleet arrived at the sea off Lushun and split into two routes: one route guarded the Jinzhou Isthmus, which was only five miles wide and could be locked down by naval guns, cutting off the enemy's return route; the other route sped to Pi Island to meet Mao Wenlong's troops.

On October 25th, Mao Wenlong led 2,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry from Dongjiang Town to join our navy and land at Jinzhou Isthmus.

The navy unleashed a barrage of cannon fire, covering the enemy formation; Wenlong led his infantry and cavalry to encircle them from all sides, engaging in a bloody battle that lasted all day. In this battle, 2,800 elite Jurchen cavalry were killed, and 370 were captured alive, including the false chieftain Dorgon! 5,000 warhorses and 170,000 shi of grain were seized.

Our army also lost 19 ships at Xiaocangshan, 700 cavalrymen and 3,890 infantrymen killed in action, and 687 wounded. We humbly request the court to issue compensation as soon as possible to comfort the loyal souls.

We, your subjects, pressed our advantage and launched a northern expedition, advancing by both land and sea. Within ten days, we recaptured the entire territories of Jinzhou, Fuzhou, and Gaizhou, as well as the strategic passes south of Haizhou. We are now facing the Jurchens across the river. In the ensuing battles, we have killed over nine hundred enemy soldiers, while suffering losses of approximately three thousand infantry and cavalry. The enemy's strength has not diminished, and a counterattack is imminent.

With Liaonan newly recovered, all tasks await completion:
The city walls of Gaizhou are dilapidated and urgently need repair. We request that the Ministry of Works be ordered to dispatch officials with craftsmen and stone materials to rush to the scene day and night.

The isolated Dongjiang Town on Pi Island is not a long-term solution. Now that Liaonan has been recovered, we request permission to relocate Dongjiang Town, gradually moving the military and civilians there. Furthermore, we request the relocation of people from the southern border of Korea to settle and cultivate the land. Liaonan has fertile plains stretching for thousands of miles, yielding an annual harvest of 400,000 shi (a unit of dry measure), sufficient to support an army of 100,000!

Juehua Island is already garrisoned with 3,500 troops, which can serve as a hub for maritime transport between Liaonan and Ningjin; Liaonan currently has more than 18,400 troops stationed in Dongjiang, which is hardly enough to withstand the Jurchens alone. We earnestly request the transfer of 30,000 elite troops from the Beijing Garrison and Jizhou Garrison to reinforce its defenses.

Your Majesty, I observe that the capital of Joseon has fallen, and it cannot be recaptured without an army of 200,000 elite troops. Rather than waging a costly expedition, it would be better to secure Liaodong. If this region is held, the Dongjiang River will have a base, Dengzhou and Laizhou will have a protective barrier, and Liaoxi will have a wing. The Jurchens will then be attacked from both sides! I will prepare my horses and strengthen my troops, vowing to defend our territory. I respectfully submit this report of victory and await Your Majesty's decision.

December 15th, the first year of Chongzhen's reign
Respectfully submitted by Yuan Keli, Military Commissioner of Liaodong!

(End of this chapter)